Palakkad: An ex-serviceman gave virtual arrest fraudsters a tough time, turning the tables on those trying to swindle him out of his hard-earned savings. C V Radhakrishnan, a native of Akathethara, even brought the fraudsters face-to-face with real police officers.

Radhakrishnan received a WhatsApp video call around 1 PM on Friday from a woman claiming that the IG of Mumbai Police wanted to speak to him. Shortly after, a man dressed as a police officer appeared on the call, threatening him.

The fraudsters claimed terrorists arrested in Pahalgam had used his Aadhaar details to buy a SIM card, and a case had been registered against him. They even displayed his Aadhaar number and asked him to send his Aadhaar card, PAN card, and bank details. Initially shaken, Radhakrishnan complied.

The scammers continued impersonating officials from the CBI and IB, instructing him to communicate from a closed room and not to inform even his wife. The conversation was conducted entirely in Hindi.

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Suspicious when they demanded a deposit of Rs.1.50 lakh to `resolve' the case, Radhakrishnan contacted his children, who confirmed it was a scam and advised him to stay calm. Acting wisely, he then reached out to Hemambika Nagar police, who instructed him to keep the call connected while coming to the station.
The moment the fraudsters realised real police officers were on the line, they disconnected and fled. Since no money was lost and no formal complaint was lodged, no case was registered.

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